Closure for fountain pens and the like



March'23, 1948. E. s. scHuLrz n AL GLOSUPIE- FOR FOUNTAIN PENS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 18, 1946 CLOSURE FOR PENS AND THE Edward s. schuuz, Buffalo, N. Y., ana charles n.

Morton, Oak to said Schultz.

Park, Ill.;

said Morton assigne.

Application January 18, 1946, Serial No. .641,896

This invention relates to closures and, in particular, to the provision of new and improved closures for detachably securing caps on fountain pens and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide such a new and improved closure which is at least partially self-acting in operation, and which is of cheap and simple construction.

' It is a further object of this invention to provide such a closure which operates on the magnetic principle whereby the fountain pen or other enclosure or container will be readily, conveniently, and automatically closed upon proper placement of the cap whereby a pair of cooperating opposed mutually attractive members are brought closely into juxtaposition, Whereafter the members will be maintained in contact by their mutual magnetic attraction automatically, and in which closure the aforesaid parts are attached each to one oi the parts to be connected by the closure, such as the barrel and cap of a fountain pen, or the like.

It is a further object of thi-s invention to provide such a closure wherein the closure member secured to the fountain pen cap is disposed entirely therewithin and is thus invisible, and wherein this member provides a reinforcement therefor, preventing splitting of the lower, or open end of the aforesaid cap without marring or interrupting the continuity of the exterior surface of the cap.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, taken with the drawing and the following claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a fountain pen provided with a closure according to this invention, with the cap attached and secured in closed position by the closure;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, with the cap in section;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the cap detached from the barrel of the fountain peni Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged view of the fountain pen cap, illustrating an alternative form of closure member secured thereto;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating an alternative form of closure member on the fountain pen barrel:

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating a modified form of magnetic closure accordlng to this invention;

9 Claims. (Cl. 1Z0-42.01)

Fig. 7 is a section taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 1-1 in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a section taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 8'-8 in Fig. 6.

This application relates to the application of the magnetic principle to new and improved closures for automatically, detachably securing together telescopic parts which have, heretofore, been screw-threadedly or frictionally attached, as, for instance, the cap and barrel of a fountain pen as herein described and as illustrated in the drawing of this application.

In Fig. 1, for the purpose of illustration, we have shown a conventional fountain pen provided with one form of closure according to this invention, the details of the closure being shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5. The pen comprises a barrel,

generally designated lll, containing an ink sack or reservoir il (Fig. 2), controlled by the filling lever or device l2 and feeding ink to the point or nib lll in conventional manner, with a cap, generally designated l5, provided with a pocket clip I6.

While it is conventional practice to provide screw-threaded attachment of the cap I5 to the barrel l0, or a complex and expensive bushing arrangement for their connection, it is to be noted that such means are totally obviated according to this invention. Instead of such known means, magnetic means is provided for detachable connection of the cap l5 and barrel l 0.

This magnetic closure means comprises an annular, generally frusto-conica1 permanent magnet member I9 secured to, or preferably embedded in, the frusto-conical portion l1 of the barrel lll between the barrel proper and the reduced nibholding outer, or throat, portion I8 and a cooperating sleeve-like annular magnet member 2l secured to, or preferably embedded in, the cap l5 adjacent its outer end.

As shown in Fig. 3, the magnet member I9 is provided with an intermediate groove 20 dividing it into an annular positive pole portion P and an annular negative pole portion N. The magnet member 2l is provided with a similar groove. 22 dividing it into an annular positive pole portion P, and an annular negative pole portion N.

The inner surface of the pole portion N of the member 2l is complementary with the outer surface of the positive pole portion P on the member I9 and both are preferably frusto-conical. Likewise, the inner surface of the positive pole portion P of the member 2| is complementary with the outer surface of the negative pole portion N of the member I9, and both surfaces are preferably frusta-conical, as shown. When the complementary surfaces of the members I9 and 2| are engaged. as shown in Fig. 2, the magnetic circuit, or field, therebetween is completed since the negative pole portion N of each is in contact with the positive pole portion P of the other. The attractive force between the magnet members I9 and 2| thus maintains the cap I5 securely, though readily detachably, connected with the barrel I of the pen.

While it is generally preferred to secure the ultimate attractive force for security of connection between the cap I and barrel Id, the'cost of the closure may be reduced by substituting for the magnet member 2| an unmagnetized ferrous sleeve 23 (Fig. 4) or by substituting for the magnet member I9 an unmagnetized ferrous sleeve 24 (Fig. 5). These members 23 and 2B may be termed keeper members. Their exposed surfaces bridge the negative and positive poles N and P of the magnet member with which they cooperate i to complete the magnetic circuit or field when they are in contact with that magnet member.

In capping the fountain pen, with the parts in the position of Fig. 3, it is merely necessary to move the parts axially together to the position of Fig. 2. In reaching the engaged position of Fig. 2, the negative pole N of the member I9 must pass the negative pole N of the member 2|; the same must occur in uncapping the pen or bringing the parts from the position of Fig. 2 to the position of Fig. 3. Since the like poles (negative) of both members exert a strong mutually repulsive force, an appreciable translational force must be exerted to move the like poles past one another. This repulsive force may be felt by the user of the pen who soon learns to accept the necessity for overcoming it as a signal indicating that the pen is closed or capped.'

This repulsive force of the negative poles also prevents uncoupling of the cap and barrel by shock which would otherwise be sufficient to separate the members I 9 and 2| sulciently to break the magnetic circuit, since it will return the negative pole N of the member I9 to the positive pole P of the member 2| before it passes "le (like) negative pole N of the member 2|.

In addition to their function as coupling or closure means the annular members 2| and 23 function as interior reinforcements for the outer or open end portion of the cap I5 obviating the necessity for exterior reinforcing bands.

The barrel In is preferably provided with similar closure members, such as I9 (Fig. 1), adiacent both ends in order that the cap I5 may be magnetically retained on the barrel I0 when the fountain pen is in use. Where a keeper member 24 is provided on the nib-end of the barrel I0 (Fig. 5) a similar keeper member (not shown) will, of course, be provided adjacent the other end of the barrel in the approximate position of the member I9 in Fig. 1.

An alternative form of magnetic closure is shown in Figs. 6, '7 and 8. This closure or connecting means comprises a plurality of generally horse-shoe shaped magnets (four are shown) 25 embedded in the portion Il of the barrel I0 with their pole portions disposed radially outwardly and a similar number of like (similar) magnets 25 secured to the cap, similarly spaced, and with their pole portions disposed radially inwardly.

While the magnet members I9 and 2| or either of these magnet members and its keepermember 23 or 24 (Figs. 1-5) exert only an axial at# tractive force as described above, each of the magnets 25 exerts both an axial and a rotational force upon the nearest magnet 26.

In coupling the cap I5 and barrel I0 with the parts in the position of Fig. 6, the cap and barrel are moved axially toward one another whereupon the negative poles N of the magnets 25 will seek thepositive poles P of the magnets 26 while repelling the negative poles thereof. The engaged poles will also align themselves axially.

Any known iiuidtight sealing means may be applied to the fountain pen if desired such as the gasket 21 (Figs.`5 and 6) which is preferably so soft and yielding as to exert no appreciable frictional resistance to free operation of the magnetic coupling or closure means while, however, providing a i'luidtight seal preventing evaporation and/or drying of the ink in the pen.

The magnets or magnet members I9, 2|, 25 and 26 are preferably of the type termed Alnico" manufactured by the General Electric Company of Schenectady, New York, which magnets are comprised of aluminum, nickel and cob alt powders, pressed, sintered and thereafter magnetized. These magnets or magnet members may, therefore, be molded in the cap I5 and barrel I0 of the fountain pen when these parts are formed and thereafter magnetized, and remagnetized if they become weak. It is, of course, understood that the barrel I0 and cap I5 will be formed of non-magnetic or non-ferrous material as is generally the case or that the magnets and/or keeper members must be insulated from their supporting parts (where these parts are formed of ferrous or magnetic material) in known manner.

From the above description it will clearly appear that we have provided a new and improved closure for fountain pens and the like which closure is elcient and positive in operation, of cheap, simple, and trouble-free construction and which, because of its reinforcing function, makes possible substantial improvement in the appearance of fountain pens.

Itis, of course, to be understood that the above description is merely illustrative and in nowise limiting and that we desire to comprehend within our invention such modifications as are included within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a fountain pen comprising a barrel of non-ferrous material, a telescopically detachable cap vof nonferrous material, and a closure comprising an annular closure member of magnetic material secured to said barrel with a frusto-conlcal outer surface, and an annular member of magnetic material secured to said cap with a frustoconical 4inner surface complementary with the frusto-conical outer surface of said first-named closure member and adapted for sealing contact therewith in the closed position of said cap, one of said closure members being permanently magnetized.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the permanently magnetized closure member is grooved to form axially spaced annular positive and negative pole surfaces.

3. In a fountain pen including a barrel member having a penpoint at one end and a cap member having a closed end adapted to t over said point, securing means for said cap comprising a pair of complementary magnetically responsive elements, one of said elements being secured on the interior wall of the cap and the other element being secured on the outside of the barrel adjacent the point, at least the element within the cap being permanently magnetized, and a, magnetically responsive element on the outside of the barrel adjacent the end remote from the point, said cap being capable of sliding over either end ofsaid barrel until said cap element comesinto magnetic holding relation with the barrel element nearest such end.

4. In a fountain pen including a barrel member having a penpoint at one end and a cap member having a closed end adapted to fit over said point, securing means for said cap comprising an annular element secured on the interior Wall of said cap, and a second annular element having a surface sealingly engageable with the surface of the rst element and having at least in part an external diameter greater than the internal diameter of at least a part of said rst annular element, said second element being secured on the outside of the barrel, one of said elements comprising at least one permanent magnet and the other element being composed at least in part of magnetically responsive material, said cap being capable of sliding over said point and barrel until said elements engage one another so as to seal said point within said cap.

5. In a device as claimed in claim 4, said surfaces being frusta-conical.

6. In a fountain pen including a barrel member having a penpoint at one end and a cap member having a closed end adapted to t Vover said point, securing means for said cap comprising a pair of complementary magnetically responsive elements, one of said elements being secured on the interior wall of the cap spaced from the closed end thereof and the other element being secured on the outside of the barrel, at least one of said elements being permanently magnetized, said cap being capable of sliding over'said point and barrel until said elements come into magnetic holding relation with one another with said point extending beyond said first element.

7. In a fountain pen as claimed in claim 6, in which both said elements are permanently magnetized, the poles of said elements being disposed substantially radially.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a fountain pen comprising a barrel of nonmagnetic material, a telescopically detachable cap of nonmagnetic material, and a closure comprising an annular permanent magnet secured to said barrel with a substantially frusto-conical outer surface, and an annular permanent magnet secured to said cap with a substantially frusto-conical inner surface complementary with the outer surface of said first-named magnet and adapted for contact therewith in the closed position of s aid cap, the outer surface of said rst-named magnet and the inner surface of said second-named magnet being substantially similarly grooved to form axially spaced annular positive and negative pole surfaces on each magnet, and the positive pole surface of each magnet sealingly engaging the negative pole surface of the other magnet in the closed position of said cap.

9. The structure defined in claim 8 wherein the annular magnet secured to said cap forms a metallic interior reinforcement protecting the cap against splitting and obviates the necessity for exterior reinforcing means for that purpose.

'EDWARD S. SCHULTZ. CHARLES D. MORTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

